couple questions about a new 150 set up.

[recliner]

I just set up a 150 gal tank a little over a week ago. I bought someones 110 gal set up and transferred all the live rock, the 29 gal refugium, and as much water as I could take with me (about 85 gal) A couple days later I bought more live rock and live sand from someone who was breaking their tank down too.
I have everything up and running but the water was cloudy so I put a magnum 350 filter on and it cleared things up. I'm guessing I need to get a light on the refugium tank so the algae can grow and do its job filtering. What size would be good? I see some cheap LED lights on ebay or should I go with a small corallife t5?
My other question is about algae growth in my main tank. I have a handfull of snails in there (5-10 maybe) but I've had to scrape the glass already because of the algae. Do I need to add more snails or something else to help with the algae or am I always going to be scraping algae every 5-7 days?

 

[wontonflip]

Welcome to the site!

For the refugium, you can just buy a $5 floodlight, and a CFL bulb that's at least 100watts and 5000-6500K (that part is important).

To discourage algae growth, the fuge will help, since all the algae will grow in there. Among other ways, you need to maintain the nitrates as close to 0 as possible, and do water changes. Plus avoid tap water -- use RODI or distilled water.

You really also shouldn't use the 350 filter -- those are best used in freshwater tanks. In saltwater, they're useless. The live rock and sand is all the biological filter you need.

 

[recliner]

Thanks, I have been using ro water. 10% water change every 7 days right? So could I just go to Lowes to get the 100 watt CFL flood light and bulb? Do they usually show on the package if they are 5000-6500?

 

[wontonflip]

I noticed that when they DON'T say the kelvin, it's not the right one. Avoid "soft yellow light" and words like that. I usually spend half an hour searching bulb sections at Home Deopot, Lowes, and Walmart LOL they don't always have the right ones. You want as white as possible.

If it's not on the package, it is usually on the bulb's base, as well.

 

[recliner]

ok, 1 more question (for now, lol) I plan on getting a timer for the light for the refugium, how long should it be on for each day? I have 2 timers on my main tanks lights. 2 of the 55w hamilton bulbs (the blue ones) come on at 7am to 11pm and the other 2 55w bulbs (the whiter ones) come on at 8am to 10pm. Is that enough/too much and would it change when I get a new light with a 250 MH, 4 x t5 39watt bulbs and 4 LED?

That is technically more then 1 question, but it's all about lighting so I'm calling it 1 question!

 

[cvcdrk]

There are two options for the fuge light. One is to run is 24 hours a day which is fine to do. the other is to run i opposite your DT lighting. So when the DT lights are off the fuge lights are on. This reducdes pH fluctuations and maintains a water balance.

Your DT lights should run for about 8 hours during the day, 10 hours with a dim in/dim out phase. As I said, either run the fuge light opposite this schedule or run it 24 hours a day (my recommendation, personally).

 

[Northstar24]

Look for the 'daylight' bulbs. You should be able to find them at any major hardware store

 

[little_fish]

Your fuge light doesn't have to run opposite of your tank, it's just helpful to balancing the pH. I would also not recommend running your fuge light 24/7

 

[recliner]

Ok, so I should have a timer on my fugue so it's on from 7pm-7am and the same timing for my led moon lights. Another timer for my HO t5 blue lights for 7am-7pm and a 3rd timer for my MH to run from 9am-5pm

 

[little_fish]

That would be fine, but you might have to cut back your day light hours if you start getting an algea problem

 

[recliner]

Oh I have a big algea problem already. So should I have 12 hours or dark, 6 hours with all the lights and 6 hours with just the t5 blue lights?

 

[Bifferwine]

If you are having a big algae problem, then I would do just 6 to 8 hours of light total.

 

[little_fish]

I would do 16 hours dark then one hour actinics then 6 hours of light then one hour actinics back to dark

 

[Jmck]

Hold on.

Isn't this a brand new setup? Haven't you transferred all the sand and water from OTHER peoples tanks?

There is your first mistake. Do you know what the quality of those systems was? Do you know what was in the water and sand? Did you rinse the sand before putting it in?

this is already a bad start in my opinion.

I just think you are having a massive cycle. What is your ammonia at? If you have 0 fish, run low level of lighting and let your tank go through its cycle you will have no algae problems at all. Clean out the sand because I get the feeling you threw it in there with detrius. Get a skimmer as well powerful enough for a heavily stocked 150 gallon tank.

 

[Jmck]

Oh, you also shouldn't be doing water changes during this phase. Wait till your ammonia and nitrites are zero. Then do water changes to get your nitrates down to or as close to zero as possible.

When you are there, run the tank with low bio load and place your first fish in the tank. This will allow it to become stable with some fish waste being produced and add yoru CUC at the same time. Do not add any inverts yet because it is harmful while you are cycling.

 

[recliner]

Got a light from lowes and some more algae for the fuge from premium aquatics.

My ammonia and nitrites are 0. PH is 8.2-8.4 and nitrates are about 30. A yellow tang that came with the set up died yesterday (he slowly went down hill right from the start) all the other fish (2 clowns, 5 blue cromis, mandarin goby, copper banded butterfly, & formosa wrasse) and all the coral are doing great. The wrasse has eaten all but 3 snails in the main tank and is for sale on craigslist along with the goby and 3 of the cromis

After the wrasse is gone what kind of cleaning crew should I get? I saw on eBay someone selling 140 snails for about $20. Is that a good thing to go for or is there a quality over quantity approach I should be taking?

Thank you to everyone for the help.

 

[Jmck]

First thing you should do is do water changes until your nitrates are 0. 30ppm is high for marine and would be best to get it down before you get some algae eating it

You should be looking at getting a clean up crew slowly. Chucking 140 snails in would be overkill straight away,

 

[recliner]

Going to be doing a 15 gallon water change tomorrow. Is 10% every 7 days ok or should I increase it while the nitrates are high?
As soon as I get rid of the Formosa I will be getting some snails. Maybe around 20 to start? Once the 5" Formosa wrasse is gone could I immediately get a lawnmower blenny and a common cleaner wrasse (or any other fish that will clean my groom my current fish)

 

[little_fish]

Dont get a cleaner wrasse, they are obligate parasite eaters and will starve in your tank unless you have some very unhealthy fish.